Name: ____________________

Protists, Fungi, and Plants Notes - 6th Grade

Characteristics of Plants
Obtain and use resources for energy
● Need food, ___________, and water, which provide required __________ to perform the
basic processes of life, such as ___________ and developing, or repairing injured parts.
● Autotrophs (ex. plants) provide their own ________ for energy through the process of
________________
● Heterotrophs (ex. animals) must find an ___________ source for food.
● Energy is released from food in most organisms through the process of
_______________.

They respond to stimuli

● A stimulus is any ___________ in an organism’s surroundings that will cause the
organism to _________.
● Examples: changes in: ________, temperature, sound, amount of water, space,
amounts or types of food, or other ____________ present.
● The reaction to the stimulus is called a response. It can be an __________ or behavior
performed by the organism.

Ability to reproduce
● Organisms have the ability to produce ____________ that have similar characteristics
as the parents. There are two basic types of reproduction:
o Asexual reproduction: involves only _______ parent and produces offspring that
is _____________ to the parent.
o Sexual reproduction: involves _______ parents. The egg (female reproductive
cell) and sperm (male reproductive cell) from these two parents ___________ to
make an offspring that is ___________ from both parents.

Growth and development

● Growth is the process whereby the organism becomes __________.
● Development is the ___________ that occurs in the life of the organism that results in
the organism becoming more complex structurally.
● Organisms require ___________ to grow and develop.

Classification of Organisms

● The study of classifying organisms is known as ____________.

● An organism is placed into a broad _________ and is then placed into more specific
groups based its _____________.
● The ___________ of classification, from broadest to most specific, include: kingdom,
phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
● The more classification levels an organism shares with another, the more characteristics
they have in ___________.

1
Name: ____________________

Kingdom
● While scientists currently disagree as to how many kingdoms there are, most support
________ (Plants, Animals, Fungi, Protists, Monerans)
● Organisms are placed into kingdoms based on their ___________ to make food and the
number of __________ in their body.
● Taxonomists - scientists who _________ organisms.
● Monera - made up of the _____________ and most primitive forms of life
● Protista - made of organisms having ___________ and cell parts

Phylum (pl. phyla)

● In the Plant Kingdom, phyla are sometimes referred to as ____________.
● Plants are normally divided into two groups: ____________ and nonvascular.
● In the Animal Kingdom, there are _____ different phyla. These phyla can be divided into
two groups: vertebrates and invertebrates.

Class, Order, Family

● levels more _____________, include fewer organisms

Genus (pl. Genera)

● Contains closely __________ organisms.
● The genus is used as the first ________ in an organism’s scientific name.

2
Name: ____________________

Species
● All the organisms of the same ________ which are able to breed and produce
_________ of the same kind.
● The species is used as the second word in an organism’s scientific name.

Scientific name
● The _______________ name of an organism is made up of its genus and species.
● It is written in italics (Genus species) with the _________ capitalized.
● For example, Canis lupus is the scientific name for the wolf and Pinus taeda is the
scientific name for a loblolly pine.
o Example: Felix catus

Protists
Protists are organisms that are classified into the Kingdom Protista. Although there is a
lot of variety within the protists, they do share some common characteristics.
● Protists are usually __________-celled organisms.
● Live in _________ environments.
● Vary in the ways they move and __________ energy.
● Eukaryotic-Have a __________

Protists obtain their energy in several ways.

● Animal-like protists - capture or _______ food
● Plant-like protists produce food through ________________.
● Fungus-like protists external digestion as _____________ or as parasites.
● Some protists have both autotrophic and heterotrophic characteristics.

Protists have three main ways to move (locomotion):

● Flagellum (flagella) - a long ________-like tail used to move and catch food
Ex. Euglena.
● Cilia - small hair-like _____________ used to sweep food into mouth or _______.
Ex. paramecium.
● Pseudopod – (false foot) finger-like projection of the cell ___________ and cytoplasm
used to catch food and move.
Ex. amoeba.

Fungi
Fungi are classified into the Kingdom Fungi. This includes microorganisms such as
yeast and molds as well as multicellular organisms such as mushrooms.

4 Main Characteristics of Fungi:

3
Name: ____________________

● Fungi are _______________

○ They have a nuclei and mitochondria
● They are heterotrophs
○ They depend on other ____________ for food
● They are _______________
● They __________ move on their own.

There are three main ways Fungi obtain energy:

● Saprophytic - from decaying organic __________
● Parasitic - feed on other living organisms (________) and harm the host.
● Symbiotic - feed on other living organisms (host) but do _______ harm the host.

Fungi are categorized based on their fruiting structures (_________).

● The structure of the fungi that you can see, is the part that ___________ out
reproduction
● Most fungi ____________ by using spore
● Fungi spores are microscopic

Fungi are able to ___________ to information from their environment to ensure

_________ of the organism. Fungi, like plants, respond to stimuli from the environment.
● Phototropism: Fungi will grow in response to _________
● Gravitropism: Fungi will grow away from ___________, but tend to show
____________ gravitropism

Fungi do not have _________, but instead use hyphae.

● Hyphae- long __________ strands to obtain water and _____________.
● Mycelium - a _________ of hyphae
● Hyphae will grow ___________ stimuli, like food and water.

Groups of Plants
All __________ are included in this kingdom, which is then broken down into ________
divisions based on several characteristics, for example:
● How they absorb and circulate __________ – vascular or nonvascular;
● How they reproduce – _________ or seeds;
● Method of seed production – cones or __________;
● Type of seed _________ – monocot or dicot.

Vascular Plants
● ___________ group

4
Name: ____________________

● well-developed system for transporting __________ and food; they have true
__________, stems, and leaves.
● help _____________ water and food throughout the plant.
● Xylem transport water and minerals from the ________ up to the rest of the plant.
● Phloem transport food from the __________ to the rest of the plant.
● Examples
o woody stems - trees and bushes
o herbaceous stems - grasses

Non-vascular Plants
● Plants do _______ have a well-developed system for transporting water and food;
therefore, do not have ________ roots, stems, or leaves.
● They must obtain nutrients __________ from the environment and ____________ it
from cell to cell throughout the plant. This usually results in these plants being very
_________ in size.
● Examples: ___________, liverworts, and hornworts.

Seed-Producing Plants
● Seeds contain the plant __________ (the beginnings of roots, stems, and leaves)
and __________ food (cotyledons) and are surrounded by a seed ________. From
those seeds, new plants grow.
● There are two major groups of seed-producing plants: cone-bearing plants and
flowering plants.
Spore-producing
● Spores are much ___________ than seeds. 
● Almost all ______________ plants produce spores.
● Examples - mosses and ferns.
Flowering Plants
● Flowering plants __________ from conifers because they ________ their seeds
inside an __________, which is embedded in a flower.
● The flower then becomes a __________ containing the seeds.
● Examples - most trees, shrubs, vines, flowers, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
Cone-bearing Plants
● Most cone-bearing plants are _____________ with needle-like leaves.
● ____________ never have flowers but produce seeds in cones.
● Examples - ________, spruce, juniper, redwood, and __________ trees.
Monocot
● A seed with _________ food storage area is called a monocotyledon, or monocot.
● Flowers of monocots have either ________ petals or multiples of three.

5
Name: ____________________

● The leaves of monocots are _________ and slender with __________ that are
parallel to each other.
● The _____________ tube structures are usually scattered randomly throughout the
stem.
● Examples - grass, _________, rice, lilies, and __________.
Dicot
● A seed with _______ food storage areas is called a dicotyledon, or dicot.
● Flowers of dicots have either ________ or five petals or multiples of these numbers.
● The leaves are usually ________ with branching veins.
● The vascular tube structures are arranged in ____________ bundles.
● Examples include roses, dandelions, maple, and oak trees.

Structures for Defense

● thorns that can __________ the plant from being eaten by some animals
● fruits and leaves with ___________ so that they are not eaten by animals
● the ability to _________ its leaves when ___________ (thigmotropism)
Structures for Survival
Parts of flowering plants that function for ____________ may be:
● Leaves function as the site of ________________, respiration, and transpiration
in plants.
● __________ support the plant and hold the leaves up to the _________. Stems
also function as _________ storage sites.
o The xylem in the stems transports _________ from the roots to the leaves
and other plant _________.
o The phloem in the stems transport food made in the leaves to
___________ parts of the plant.
Roots
● __________ the plant in the ground.
● _________ water and nutrients from the soil
● store __________ food for the plants.
● Increase surface area to absorb more water and nutrients
● Root hairs help to ___________ this surface area.
● There are two types of roots:
o 1. Fibrous roots consist of several ________ roots that branch off to form
a ________ of roots.
Examples are grass, corn, and some trees.
o 2. Taproots consist of _______ large, main root with smaller roots
branching off. Examples - carrots, dandelions, or __________.

6
Name: ____________________

Structure for Reproduction

Parts of the flowering plant that function in reproduction include:
Flowers
● Flowers __________ seeds.
● Many flowers contain ________ male and female parts needed to produce new
___________.
● Flower ___________ are often colorful or have a _________ to attract insects
and other animals.
Stamen
● ________ part of a flower that has an __________ on a stalk (filament).
● The anther produces __________ that contains the sperm cells.
Pistil- The ___________ part of the flower that contains:
● The ovary, contains the ___________ where the egg cells are produced,
● the stigma, the sticky top where pollen grains ________
● the style, _________ down which the pollen tube grows after _____________
has taken place
Seed
● The __________ that contains the fertilized _______ (embryo) from which new
plants are formed.
● A _________ that is formed from the ovary often ____________ them.
● Seeds have special structures that allow them to be ___________ by wind,
water, or animals
● The seeds coat protect the embryo from __________ and drying out

7
Name: ____________________

Life Cycle
Germination
● When seeds are ____________ from the ___________ plant, they can either lay
___________ or they can begin to _________ immediately given the right
conditions.
● This _________ stage of seed growth is called germination.
● The roots begin to grow ________, while the stem and leaves grow _____.
Plant development
● Over time the seed grows into a __________ plant with the structures necessary
to ___________ more plants.
Fertilization
● When pollen, which is produced in the _________ of a flower, transfers from
stamen to __________ (pollination) and then enters the ovule, which is located in
the __________ of a flower, fertilization occurs.
Seed production
● Once the ovule is ______________ it develops into a _________.
● A fruit (___________, pod, or shell) then develops to ___________ the seed.
● Seeds are structures that __________ the young plant surrounded by a
____________ covering.

Reproduction
Sexual reproduction
● A process of reproduction that requires a sperm cell (in __________) and an egg
cell (in the ovule) to ___________ to produce a _______ organism.
● All ___________ plants undergo sexual reproduction.
Asexual reproduction
● A process of reproduction that involves only _______ parent plant or plant part
and produces offspring _____________ to the parent plant.
● Many plants can grow new plants _____________ from their plant parts.
● If a plant is ________ or damaged; it can ___________ new growth from the
stems, roots, or leaves.
1.Tubers
● _______________ stems.
● The “________” or buds of tubers, for example potatoes, grow into _________
and __________ to produce a new plant.
2.Bulbs
● Bulbs, for example __________, are big _________ made of a stem and special
types of leaves.
3.Runners
● stems that run along the ____________.

8
Name: ____________________

● New strawberries or some _______ grow from the tips of runners.

● Many _________ grasses grow from runners.
4.Stem Cuttings
● When a piece of cut ________ is planted, roots may ________ from the cutting,
and then a full plant develops.
● Examples: _________ cane and pineapple
5.Roots
● Some fruit trees and bushes _______ up “suckers” or new shoots from the roots.
● Some plants have roots that can produce ________ plants from root _________,
such as a sweet potato.
Leaves
● Some _______________ produce little plants right on their leaves.
● For example, African ___________ can produce plants from leaves placed on
top of soil.
Photosynthesis
● Process to make _________
● Chloroplasts, found in the __________ of the leaf, contain chlorophyll, a green
___________ that absorbs light energy.
● During this process, plants use carbon dioxide _______ from the air (taken in
through ___________ in the leaf called stomata) and water (taken in through the
_________) to make sugar (food) in the leaves.
● During the process of photosynthesis, ___________ is also produced. The
oxygen is released into the ________ through the stomata.
Respiration
● To obtain the energy from the food it ___________, plants must __________
down the sugar in the cells throughout the plant in a process called respiration.
● In this process, oxygen from the air (taken in through the _________) combines
with the sugar, which is then broken down into carbon dioxide and ________.
● During this process, ___________ is released. This energy can now be used by
the plant to perform life functions.
● The carbon dioxide and water that are formed are then _________ off through
the stomata in the leaves.
Transpiration
● Some of the _________ taken in through the roots of plants is used in the
process of photosynthesis.
● However, plants _________ most of the water through the leaves. This process
is called transpiration.
● Plants are able to ___________ the rate of transpiration
● Guard cells, mostly on the ___________ of the leaf, open and close the stomata.
● When the stomata are closed, water cannot __________ from the leaf.

9
Name: ____________________

Response to the Environment

● Dormancy - time when the _________ or activity of a plant or seed ________
due to changes in ______________ or amount of water.
● allows various __________ to survive in particular environments.
● ensures that seeds will ____________ when conditions are __________ for
survival of the small seedlings.
● For example, leaves _________ from trees prior to the conditions of _________
and the leaf buds do not open again until conditions are favorable in the spring.
Tropism-growing or moving their __________, roots, or leaves toward or away from the
stimulus
Phototropism - plant grows or moves in response to _________
Gravitropism - plant grows or moves in response to _________; also called geotropism
Hydrotropism - plant grows or moves in response to _________
Thigmotropism - plant grows or moves in response to _________

10